COMPASSIONATE-EMPATHIC PHYSICIANS - PERSONALITY-TRAITS AND SOCIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS THAT ENHANCE OR INHIBIT THIS BEHAVIOR PATTERN

Compassionate-empathic physicians (CEPs) are desired by patients, but rarely found in medical settings. The purpose of this study was to pro mote our understanding of this gap by determining personal characteris tics that distinguish CEPs from other physicians, and organizational f actors that might enhance or inhibit physicians' compassionate-empathi c behavior (CEB). In the first stage of the study, three groups of phy sicians who differed in their compassionate-empathic pattern of behavi or toward patients were identified by a sociometric questionnaire dist ributed to 324 physicians ina general hospital. In the second stage, a lmost all of these physicians (N = 308) were asked to fill out a self administered structured questionnaire, and 214 (69.5%) responded. Comp arisons among the three groups show that the physicians identified as CEPs, more than other physicians, are younger, have fewer years in med ical practice, and score higher on pro-social, non-stereotypic attitud es toward patients and on empathy measures. Their self-esteem is, howe ver, similar to that of the non-CEPs. The CEPs express similar levels of satisfaction with work on most dimensions, but they report more emo tional exhaustion (burnout) than other physicians. A consensus among a ll physicians was found with regard to two rank orders: (a) the import ant qualities for being ''a good physician''; and (b) the important qu alities for being promoted in the hospital. However, while empathic be havior was considered the most important quality for being ''a good ph ysician'', it was ranked as the least important for being promoted in the hospital. The conclusions can serve as a scientific base for impro ving methods of selection of medical students, and for re-evaluating t he existent criteria for promoting medical staff in general hospitals. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd